Alleged Google Pixel Fold Renders Leak, and It’s Going to Be Pricey

Google hasn’t announced its folding smartphone yet, but it’s been a few years since the rumors started circulating, enough that we have an idea of what the company will do when it finally commits to the form factor. Over at Front Page Tech, a popular YouTube channel that’s been on the money a few times with leaks, new renders indicate the Pixel Fold will be bigger than Samsung’s current release—and it’ll have bigger bezels, too.

Front Page Tech’s anonymous sources offered a glance at what’s to come, and they put together some pretty convincing renders based on what they saw. The renders suggest a wider phone than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, which I have been obsessed with since reviewing it in August. But my one gripe about it months after using it is that I still think Samsung’s phone is too narrow to type with when it’s closed. The front screen is tough to tap when a protective case is on it, and you have long nails. A wider device would fix this—and the Pixel Fold looks wide.

When it’s closed, the folding device looks like the Pixel 7 on the front. The back has a massive protruding camera bar, akin to the Microsoft Surface Duo 2, which did not bode well for that particular foldable. At least the camera lenses aren’t arranged off to the side like on the Z Fold 4. It makes the “tablet” uneven when lying down without a case to help the back stay flush.

According to Front Page Tech’s sources, the Pixel Fold is being called “Project Passport.” It will be marketed as a premium device and won’t have an under-display camera on the inside like the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Instead, it will have a bezel around the edges to accommodate a 9.5-megapixel camera. If that means high-resolution video calling with that camera on the inside, it might make the bezel worth living with. The significantly lower-res video situation on the Z Fold 4 is starting to get to me.

Front Page Tech is “confident” in its renders, though they were recreated to help protect the identity of its sources. The Pixel Fold could look very different when it eventually launches. Still, it’s hard not to be excited about the renders, considering Front Page Tech was close to the mark on the design of the Pixel Watch. Unfortunately, that means it’s also right about the price. The Pixel Fold’s $1800 starting price point mentioned in the video seems possible since that’s the price of Samsung’s Z Fold. It also means that affordable foldables remain quite a long ways away.